Sutra 5

Devanagari script

स्वाम्यमात्यजनपददुर्गकोशदण्डमित्रव्यसनानां पूर्वं पूर्वं गरीयः इत्याचार्याः ॥ कZ_०८.१.०५ ॥

Transliteration

svāmyamātyajanapadadurgakośadaṇḍamitravyasanānāṃ pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ garīyaḥ ityācāryāḥ

Translation

Les maîtres disent : parmi les calamités touchant le roi, les ministres, le pays/le peuple, la forteresse, le trésor, l’armée et l’allié — chacune, lorsqu’elle est mentionnée plus tôt, est plus grave que celle qui suit.

Word by Word

• स्वामि: the king/sovereign
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• अमात्य: minister; high official
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• जनपद: territory; realm/country (people and land)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• दुर्ग: fort; fortress
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• कोश: treasury; financial resources
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• दण्ड: coercive power; punishment/army (state force)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• मित्र: ally; friend (allied power)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• व्यसन: calamities; misfortunes/vices
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचन (व्यसनानाम्)

• पूर्वम्: the earlier/preceding (one)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (adverbial: ‘earlier/preceding’)

• पूर्वम्: (is) prior/preceding (to the next)
• Type: Adjective (used adverbially)
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (correlative: ‘each preceding’)

• गरीयः: more weighty; more important
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• इति: thus; as follows
• Type: Particle
• Root: इति
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमनार्थक अव्यय (quotative)

• आचार्याः: the teachers/authorities (ācāryas)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन

Entities Mentioned

• svāmi (king)
• amātya (ministers)
• janapada (people/territory)
• durga (fort)
• kośa (treasury)
• daṇḍa (army/coercive power)
• mitra (ally)
• ācārya (teachers)

More Details

FAQs

What is the practical meaning of ‘earlier is graver’?

Protect upstream determinants first: leadership integrity and ministerial competence condition everything else; losing them cascades into failures of revenue, defense, and alliances.

How could this translate into a modern continuity plan?

Prioritize executive decision continuity, cabinet/administrative functionality, and population-territory stability before infrastructure, fiscal reserves, military operations, and external partnerships.